Installations for continuously treating strip-like materials in vacuum



Sept. 23, 1958 H. WALTER ETAL 2,353,047

INSTALLATIONS FOR cou'rmuousu TREATING STRIP-LIKE MATERIALS m VACUUMFiled June 23, 1955 4 SheetsShe t 1 p 1958 H. WALTER ETAL 2,853,047

INSTALLATIONS FOR CONTINUOUSLY TREATING STRIP-LIKE MATERIALS IN VACUUMFiled June 2:5, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6

Sept. 23, 1958 INSTALLATIO Filed June 23, 1955 STRIP-LIKE MATERIALS INVACUUM H; WALTER ETAL NS FOR CONTINUOUSLY TREATING 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.7

Sept. 23, 1958 H. WALTER ETAL 2,853,047 INSTALLATIONS FOR CONTINUOUSLYTREATING STRIP-LIKE MATERIALS IN VACUUM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 23,1955 FIG. 9

United States Patent INSTALLATIONS FOR CONTINUOUSLY TREAT- INGSTRIP-LIKE MATERIALS IN VACUUM Heinz Walter, Wiesbaden, and ErhardBerisch, Niederwalluf, Rheingau, Germany, assignors to VAC Anstalt,Vaduz, Liechtenstein, a company of Liechtenstein Application June 23,1955, Serial No. 517,622 Claims priority, application Germany June 26,1954 19 Claims. (Cl. 118-49) This invention relates to installations forcontinuously treating materials in vacuo.

With the hitherto known installations for continuously treating, forexample, impregnating or vapour-treating strip-like material, forexample, webs of paper, plastics or textiles, with aluminium in vacuo,it is inter alia a disadvantage that the means, devices, equipment orarrangements for treating the strip-like material, which are frequentlycomplicated, are not readily accessible, this being particularlyundesirable, for example, with long vacuum boilers. A furtherdisadvantage is that it is usually not possible (or is only possiblewith great difiiculty), for the individual treating means, devicesequipment or arrangements to be adjusted relatively to one another, asis necessary, for example, if strip-like material has to be conductedcontinuously under vacuum through the separate stages of the treatment.A further disadvantage is that it is also very difiicult for certain ofthese means, devices, arrangements and the like to be dismantled orreplaced, and that those parts of the installation which form a unit,for example, a long boiler, can only be transported with specialauxiliary devices and also with considerable loss of time.

The present invention permits all these disadvantages to be avoided in asimple manner; at the same time, a number of very important additionaladvantages are obtained. The installation provided by the presentinvention for continuously treating (for example impregnating orvapour-treating) strip-like material under vacuum is built up ofcomponents adapted to be assembled in sections, each of the componentsbeing associated with a predetermined treatment or stage of thetreatment and the components being adapted to be coupled to one anotherwith sealing.

The individual components of the installation each comprise, forexample, an independent treatment group which may consist of vacuumpumps and pipe lines, valves, cooling assemblies, transformers,switches, fuses, impregnating rollers, etc. All these parts togetherform an independent unit and a self-contained operating group. It isonly necessary, for example, for the electric mains and the coolingwater supply to be connected for setting the installation in operation.

It is very advantageous if the individual components of theinstallations are mounted, for example, on wheels running on rails,whereby it is possible in certain cases for the components of theinstallation to be taken apart and replaced-conveniently and simply. Itis expedient for the separate components of the installation, forexample, the separate sections of a vacuum boiler, to be mounted ontheir own travelling frames or carriages.

The couplings connecting the components to one another are to be soconstructed thatthe components are also capable of being adjustedrelatively to one another when they are coupled, this being useful ornecessary, for example, when it is a question of modifications oradaptations in the guiding of the material being conveyed. The means foradjustment purposes may, for example, be provided spaced apart arcuatelyby on the casings of the components.

Moreover, couplings are advantageously incorporated in the pipe linesbetween the vacuum pumps arranged in a fixed position after theinstallation, especially for the convenient separation and replacementof the components of the installation, perhaps when threading the stripto be vapour-treated through the narrow slots of the sealing meansbetween the components. For example, the vacuum pipe is provided at thisseparation point with two plates, one of which is surface-ground, whilethe other comprises a dove-tailed groove with a rubber ring. Thispermits a certain relative displacement of the pipes or tubes at thejunction, which is advantageously so arranged that when the componentsare brought together, the two plates are automatically urged one againstthe other.

The packings between the components, for example, between the sectionsof a vacuum boiler and relatively to the outside space, for example, thefree atmosphere, are advantageously provided externally on the walls,for example, of the boiler sections.

Each component of the installation is preferably pro vided at least atone end with a rigidly fitted ring or the like which is, for example,welded around the said end and projects beyond the latter, the ringembracing the other component which is coupled to this point or beingembraced by the other component, and a resilient packing ring'bearing ontwo components to be sealed oil relatively to one another is provided inat least one encircling groove of the ring and/ or of the bearing partforming the counterpart of the ring.

The packing ring may be a tube, adapted to be expanded by means of air,gas, oil or the like in such manner that the ring bears tightly andfirmly against those parts of the installation which are to be sealedoff.

It is advantageous to ensure that the packing ring (for example, a tube)is non-detachably secured on or in its groove; the groove may have asubstantially dovetailed cross-section for this purpose. The tube mayalso be secured by split rings or by adhesives.

For electric lead-in conductors, for example, watercooled pins, it isexpedient if the pins are surrounded at the sealing position by hollow(and perhaps inflatable) packing rings, which are Vulcanised, forexample, on pins and in turn are surrounded, for example, by projectionsof that wall (for example, of a vacuum boiler) provided with openingsfor the lead-ins.

The means, devices, arrangements and the like to treating, for example,strip-like material are advantageously arranged separately or in groupson supports independent of the housing of the corresponding component,which supports may comprise frames consisting of sectional members orthe like, which are passed through the wall of the housing of thecorresponding components of the installation while being sealed offagainst vacuum or a positive pressure. By means of this particularsupport of the treating means, the correspond- Those parts of .theinstallation, for example, vacuum chambers, which are at the deliveryend considered in the direction of the process are expediently suppliedby a vacuum pump, preferably a steam-jet pump, which is economic in thelow pressure range, while the common main vacuum pump is .connected tothe chamber at the inlet end. A throttle valve or an overflow valve isadvantageously disposedbetween these two chambers, for example, in thepartition. For example, the chamber with the less effective vacuum isconnected to the initial vacuum side of the steam-jet pump by way of aseparate pipe line adapted to be closed by means of a throttle valve. Assoon as the necessary vacuum in the component at the output end isreached with the steam-jet pump, the valve is-closed and the initialvacuum side of this pump, parallel to the other component at the inletend, is connected to the common main vacuum pump.

As sealing means for the lead-in for the material between thecomponents, for example, two vacuum chambers, it is expedient to use twoparallel plates, the spacing of which is small in relation to the freepath length of the gas molecules, it perhaps being necessary to utilisethe laws of molecular flow. The flow resistance of this device mayreadily be so great that the highest vacua are maintained even with verygreat pressure differences between the two chambers, without the web orthe like conducted therethrough being impeded or impaired in any way.

Instead of these sealing plates, it is also possible to use two endlesstravelling belts or bands forming a slot-like passage, or only one suchbelt or band and a rotating roller engaged by the latter over arelatively large part of its circumference; the belts and the rolleraccompany the material at a certain'speed while it travels through thisslot-like sealing passage, which is in effect also moving. The materialis thus subjected to very gentle treatment, because relative movementsbetween the material and the belt or roller do not occur. The sealingeffect is very good, -because the belts and roller completely enclosethe strip-like material over a relatively long distance.

The belts and roller may at the same time serve as driving means.Moreover, it is also possible to provide supplementary sealing means,for example, bars covered with fabric, which are arranged transverselyof the direction of travel and rub on the belts and rollers. Such barsmay in addition serve as separating devices, for example, for dust, andalso as a brake it they are adjustable.

' As already stated, the travelling belts, rollers or the likeparticularly have the advantage that in practice there is 'nodeleterious eifect on the travelling material while maintaining a goodsealing action, because no relative movement occurs between thismaterial and the travelling belt or belts and roller. For example, thesesealing means are in particular also very suitable if a material formedwith apertures, for example, gauze-like material, is to be movedtherethrough. The individual threads or the like of the gauze, whichhave a tendency to cause creeping paths along them and thus anundesirable transfer of air for one chamber to the other, aresatisfactorily enclosed by the two travelling belts or by one belt and aroller accompanied by this belt over a large part of its circumference,because the belts are usually capable of being made sufiiciently long orthe diameter of the roller sufiiciently large. In this manner, thearrangement en- -sures a very good sealing action with a very gentletreatment when sensitive material, such as perforated foils having athickness of for example, only 0.1 mm. are to "be passed through, orwhen it is a question of very large pressure differences between thechambers.

, The endless belts which, if necessary, are provided with coverings areexpediently resilient and, for example, are

'adjustableas regards their tension; they may, for example,

run over rollers which are spring-loaded. Moreover, the sealingrollerassociated with one endless sealing band to form a slot-like passage isalso adapted to be adjustably said holes, so that the disc acts as ascreen.

'4 mounted and, for example, provided with coverings, for example, ofplastics, which grip the material in a particularly suitable manner andholding the material with a sliding action or without movement as itpasses through the apparatus.

In order to ensure that the inside surface of the glass pane, or thelike of a control window arranged in the outside wall of thevapour-treating space is protected against metal vapour being depositedon this surface and consequently impairing or even preventing visionthrough the window, it is a further feature of the invention that thesaid window consisting, for example, of glass should have arranged infront of it two discs disposed in spaced relation relatively to oneanother and driven at the same speed, the discs having openings, thoseof one of the discs being so arranged in relation to those of the otherdisc as to form aligned viewing passages, whereby the spacings of thediscs, the holes therein and also the speed of the discs in relation tothe speed of the particles of, for example, metallic vapour are sochosen that a particle which has travelled through a hole of the discnearer to the vapour-treating chamber, owing to the further rotation ofthe other disc which has meanwhile taken place impinges on those solidparts of the said disc between the The two discs consisting, forexample, of sheet metal are advantageously combined to form a unit.

With the generally very rapid rotation of the discs, the holes formingthe viewing passages provide a practically unimpaired vision of thevapour-treating chamber in accordance with the optical principle whichis known per se. The holes are at the same time so formed, arranged anddirected that the observer can accurately inspect the entire vapourtreating chamber, preferably from diflerent points.

The vapour-treating chamber is advantageously arranged completelyenclosed in one of the independent components of the installation,perhaps as a single treatment space filling this component, and ispreferably supplied by its own vacuum pump; in this case, the strip-likematerial to be vapour-treated advantageously itself forms the upperlimit of the treatment space.

The versatility of the strip-like materials per se which may be treatedwith this installation and the changeover from one material to another,which it is frequently necessary to carry out at relatively shortintervals, may in particular present difficulties when the finallytreated webs or strips are reeled or wound, which difficulties mayproduce their effect on the entire run of the strip or web and thus alsoon the vapour-treatment and also the quality of the vaporised, forexample, metallic layer.

According to theinvention, these difliculties and disadvantages areavoided in a very simple manner by the winding or reeling means beingchanged over merely by replacing the reeling bar receiving the strip orweb in the supporting roller system by the winding rod or bar in thewinding rod system, and vice versa.

The winding by means of supporting rollers is particularly suitable formaterials which satisfactorily withstand the great pressure whichobtains between the coil of strip material which is always increasing inweightand the rollers supporting it by hearing on the circumference.

The rolling method using a winding rod, on the other hand, isparticularly suitable in order to reel more sensitive and perhaps verysoft or brittle material.

The possibility of changing over merely by replacement of thecorresponding bars or rods, that is to say, more especially without anymechanical modifications, is additionally made possible in a very simplemanner by the fact that a supporting roller serving to drive the coil ofstrip material with the supporting roller system is at the same timeused for driving the winding bar or rod in the winding rod system.

It is advantageous to provide an infinitely variable gear in the drivemeans serving for the two systems, by

meansof which gear the speed of strip material may be regulated within arelatively large range. When the material is wound by means ofsupporting rollers, the peripheral speed of the latter is equal to thespeed of the strip or web material.

It is expedient for another infinitely variable gear to be included inthis power transmission of the drive means, which additional gearcorrespondingly reduces the speed of the winding rod in dependence onthe increasing diameter of the coil of strip material with the windingrod system, so that the speed of the web or strip travelling through theinstallation is maintained at the predetermined value.

Further features of the invention will 'be apparent from the enclosedrepresentations of constructional examples and also from the followingdescription.

'In the drawings:

- Figure 1 shows a vacuum boiler assembled in sections, each sectionbeing arranged on its own travelling frame or trolley,

Figure 2 is a view to an enlarged scale showing a sealing means forguiding, for example, strip-like material between two parts of theinstallation, for example boiler sections, with a revolving belt and aroller around which the latter passes,

Figure 3 is a view to a larger scale showing a sealing arrangementbetween two parts of the installation, for example, boiler sections,

Figure 4 is a view, also to a larger scale, showing a modifiedconstruction of a packing, more especially for electric lead-ins,

Figure 5 is an elevation of an apertured disc of a device for keepingthe inside surface of a control window free from deposits of metalvapour,

Figure 6 is a plan view of the device according to Figure 5, whichconsists essentially of two synchronously rotating discs, arranged infront of that inside surface of the control window to be kept free fromdeposits of metal vapour,

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view showing a drive means in which thematerial is coiled on winding rods,

Figure 8 is also a diagrammatic view showing a drive means in whichmaterial is wound on supporting rollers, and

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through a strip guidewaywith packing means and using communicating pipes.

The sections of the installation, for example, boiler sections, 1, 2, 3and 4 have arranged therein various treating means, apparatus, devicesor the like 5, 6, 7 and 8, respectively, for example, guide rollers withtheir frames, vapour-treating devices, heating means, cooling means,pumps, pipes, valves, regulating, measuring and switching means andthelike. Each section of the installation is mounted on a travelling frameor carriage 9, 10, 11 and 12, respectively; the sections are adapted tobe moved axially so that the strip-like material may be convenientlypassed through from the chamber to chamber through narrow sealing slots.Moreover, the treating means may easily be checked, repaired, replaced,etc.

With a sealing or jointing device according to Figure 2, the material 13being conveyed, for example, a paper web, a gauze web or strip oftextile material, first of all travels over guide rollers 14, then overa sealing roller 15, which is for example, driven and which moves at thesame speed as the material, then over a second guide .roller 16 andthereafter through a slot 17 in a partition 18 into a chamber 19 whichis at a different pressure.

The roller is embraced over about half of its periphery by a section ofan endless sealing belt 20 travelling at the same speed as the roller sothat a slit-like sealing duct is formed between the roller 15 and thebelt 20. The belt travels over the guide rollers 21, 22, 23 and 24; theroller 24 is loaded by a spring 25, which is preferably adjustable.

The sealing belt 20 is preferably resilient and urges the material 13against the sealing roller 15, so that there is no relative movementbetween the material 13 and the sealing means; any such movement mighthave an unfavourable influence on the material.

Projections 26 and 27 are provided at the slot 17 and are directedtowards the roller 15. The projection 27, which if necessary isadjustable, carries a sealing element 29 in a groove 28, this elementbeing, for example, in the form of a bar and rubbing on the roller 15.

The projection 26 has an additional extension 30 extending substantiallyperipherally of the roller 15 and of that part :of the belt 20 disposedat this point, this extension also exerting some sealing action; theextension 30 is at such a short distance from the roller 15 that aslit-like passage is formed so that the material being conveyed isclosely embraced, .but not so closely that it rubs on the extension 30.I

The sealing belt 20 is advantageously tensioned by the tension spring 25to such a high degree that it not only urges the material 13 firmlyagainst the roller 15 but also causes the sealing means completely toabsorb any excess pressure between the chamber 19 and a space 31 whichmay also be a chamber.

The complete sealing arrangement may also be completely arranged in oneof the chambers, for example, in the chamber at higher pressure.

As shown in Figure 3, casings 32 and 33 of the sections 1 and 2respectively are adjustably coupled to one another by a ring 35 weldedto the casings 32 and 34. The ring 35 projects from an end of the casing32 towards the casing 33 and surrounds the latter casing with a smallclearance 36; it has an internal peripheral groove 37 in which isarranged a hollow packing ring 38, which ring may be so expanded, forexample, by compressed air or oil under pressure, that it completely andreliably seals off the two sections while at the same time maintainingsome degree of flexibility between them.

The sealing means shown in Figure 4 is particularly suitable for sealingotf electric lead-in pins. A wall 39, for example, the Wall :of theboiler section has a connection 41 which is fixed by a weld seam 40 andhas at one end a collar 42 with an internal peripheral groove 43surrounding a hollow, inflatable packing ring 44 which in turn closelysurrounds a collar 45 of a copper pin 46 of an electric conductor; thepin 46 can for example, be hollow and adapted to be cooled by water.

Figures 5 and 6 shows a construction in which a disc 47 has radiallyextending rows 48 and 49 of apertures 50, 51, 52. Radial partitions 53and 54 are arranged between the rows and form individual compartmentsand which are at the same time fitted on another disc 55 and secure thediscs rigidly to one another to form a structural unit. The discs andthe partitions are driven by means of a common hub 56 and a shaft 57 sothat the discs 47 and 55 run synchronously. The drive means may be ofany desired type, for example, an electric motor.

The disc 55 faces the pane 58 of a control window and is made of atransparent material, for example, glass and the other disc 47 faces avapour-treating chamber 59. The chamber 59 is enclosed by a housing, ofwhich a part is illustrated at 60. The housing is provided with a tubesection 61 and the window pane 58 is fixed at the free end of thesection 61 in a sealed manner.

An opening, for example, 51, in the disc 47 corresponds to an opening 62in the disc 55; both openings are in alignment with one another and areparallel to the axis of rotation 63.

A metal particle passing through the opening 51 of the disc 47 in thedirection of the arrow 64 does not pas-s through the aligned opening inthe other disc 55 owing to the continued synchronous rotation of thelatter, for example, in the direction of the arrow 65, which takes placeas the particle is travelling forward, but this particle insteadimpinges, for example, at 66, on the solid wall 7 of the disc 55; atthis time, the opening 62 has reached the position -67 shown in dottedlines. The apertures, the mutual spacing and the speed of rotation ofthe discs are accordingly adapted to the speed of travel of theparticles of metal vapour.

In the construction illustrated in Figure 7, an electric motor 68 or thelike drives a bevel gear '72 through an infinitely variable gear 69 anda spur wheel gearing 70 as well as an additional infinitely variablegear 71, the bevel gear 72 rotating the spur gear 7 through anotherbevel gear 73. Supporting rollers 75 and vs are driven by the spur gear74 through additional spur gears arranged coaxially with the latter.Arranged on the shaft of the supporting roller 76 is a belt pulley orthe like driving, a belt pulley on the shaft 78 by means of a belt 77.Chain- Wheels and chains or like transmission systems may be usedinstead of belt pulleys and belts.

Arranged on the shaft 78 is a winding bar 79 by means of which the coil80 of strip material is set in rotation. After the strip or web 81 of,for example, paper has passed through a sealing means (not shown)between the preceding chamber of the installation and that chamber ofthe installation receiving the winding device, the web travels overguide rollers 82, 83 and 84 and on to a roll 80.

A feeler roller 85 or the like loaded by its own weight runs on the roll80, and is carried by an arm 86 which is pivotally mounted at 87 andwhich (in a manner illustrated in purely diagrammatic form) operatesthrough a control line 88 on an adjustment means 89 of the infinitelyvariable gear 71.

Thereafter, by use of the supporting roller 76, the paper web 81 iswound on the winding bar 79 and in order to maintain the prescribedspeed of the web, the infinitely variable gear 71 is so influenced bymeans of the pivoted feeler roller 85 (acting through the adjustmentmeans 89) which is influenced by the diameter of the roll 80 that thewinding speed for the web 81, which speed positively increases withincreasing diameter of the roll 80, is maintained by the infinitelyvariable gear 71 at the prescribed value, for example, is kept constant,that is to say, the gear 71 correspondingly reduces the speed impartedto it by the driving motor ,68 through the two gears 69 and 70, so thatthe supporting roller 76 driving the winding bar '79 is given a drivingspeed which is lower in proportion as the diameter of the rollincreases.

With the construction illustrated in Figure 8 (which figure illustratesa winding of the material on to supporting rollers accordingto theinvention) all the elements of Figure 7 are provided with the samereference numerals. The difference as compared with the other windingsystem is that the supporting rollers 75 and 76 drive the roll of strip80 constantly winding on to the rollers at the periphery of the roll ofstrip material. In this case, after the strip or web 81 has been guidedover the guide rollers 82, 83 and 84, it travels over the supportingroller 76 on to the reel 80, which is rotatedat the same speed as thatat which the supporting rollers 75 and 76 are driven, the speed of thelatter being adapted to be regulated to a predetermined value by meansof the gear 69 in the same way as the winding bar arrangement of Figure7.

v The conversion of the arrangement in which the material is wound onwinding bars to the arrangement using supporting rollers is effectedmerely by replacing the winding bar by the reeling rod used with thesupporting rollers, or vice versa.

With the strip guiding and sealing arrangement shown in Figure 9, thestrip travels through a heating chamber 91 which is heated by electricheater wires 92, infra red radiators or the like, then through a slot 93of a 96 which is sealed in relation to the container holding the liquid@by -means of a spring-loaded slide 97; the

strip then leaves the liquid again, passes through the slot 98, around'a guide roller'99 to a roller 100 in a'vacuum chamber 101, andcontinues from roller 100 over a guide roller 102, through a slot 103 ofa sealing disc 94, into the impregnating liquid 95 again, around aroller 104 (which is of resilient material and is under the action of aroller 105 sealed off in relation to the container by a spring-loadedslide member) through the liquid in an upward direction to a slot 106 inthe sealing disc and from thence over a guide roller 107 and out throughthe chamber 91.

The liquid 95 is in a container 108 divided into the two branches 57 and58. Connected to the bottom 117 of the container and acting .ascommunicating tubes are two pipe connections 109 and 110 having valves111 and 112, respectively. Also connected to the bottom 117 is a pipe113 which leads by way of a valve 114 to a recirculating pump 115 whichconveys the liquid through a pipe 116 back into the container 108. Aheating coil 118 is provided just above the bottom 117 of the container.

Arranged above the roller 100 in the vacuum chamher 101 is an infra-redradiator 119. A vacuum pump is connected at 120.

What we claim is:

1. Installation for continuously treating strip-like material in vacuo,comprising individual installation elements adapted to be assembled insections, each section having a movable support, a vessel sectionmounted on said support, as well as internal means inside of each saidsection associated with a predetermined treatment operation, adjacentvessel sections having therebetween packing means sealing relatively tothe outside space, said internal means inside of adjacent sections beingseparated from each other by at least one separating wall with sealingorifices for saidstrip-like material, the coupling between theindividual installation sections being of uniform construction tothereby allow an interconnection of the individual sections in anydesired sequence, means to adjust the sections relative to one anotherto form one entire installation, said packing means being disposedaround the outside wall of the vessel section.

2. Installation according to claim 1, wherein each section of theboiler, is provided on at least one end with a ring which is rigidlyconnected around the section and projects beyond the end, the said ringembracing the next section to be coupled at this point or is enclosed bythe section, and wherein a resilient packing ring bearing on two partsto be sealed oil relatively to one another is provided in at least oneencircling groove of the ring and/or of the supporting part forming thecounterpart to the said ring.

3. Installation according to claim 2, wherein the packing ring is a tubewhich is adapted to be inflated by means of a fluid introduced into thesaid tube, the tube being held in its groove, preferably by means of anadhesive and/or by means of parts of a groove engaging over the saidtube.

4. Installation according to claim 3, wherein electric lead-inconductors are embraced at the sealing points of the lead-in position bya hollow packing ring which if necessary is adapted to be inflated andwhich is surrounded by an annular groove.

5. Installation for continuously treating strip-like material in vacuo,comprising individual installation elements adapted to be assembled insections, each section having a movable support, a vessel sectionmounted on said support, as well as internal means inside of each saidsection associated with a predetermined treatment operation, adjacentvessel sections having therebetween packing means sealing relatively tothe outside space, said internalmeans inside of adjacent sectionsbeingseparated from each-other by at least one separating wall withsealing orifices for said strip like material, the coupling between theindividual installation sections being of uniform construction tothereby allow an interconnection of the individual sections in anydesired sequence, a common pump associated with a plurality ofsubsequent vessel sections which are separated from each other byseparating walls, for the production of a vacuum, and further a separatepump associated, with each vessel partition for maintaining of differentvacua, the separating walls being provided with sealable valves, onepart of the installation being supplied by a vacuum pump, preferably asteamjet pump which is economic in a low pressure range and after thethrottle valve, overflow valve or the like provided between the parts ofthe installation has been closed by the initial vacuum obtained withthis pump, the initial vacuum side of the said pump, parallel to adifferent part of the installation being adapted to be connected to thefull vacuum pump which is common to the parts of the installation;wherein at those sealing points between two chambers of differentpressure designed for guiding through the material to be conveyed,sealing surfaces are provided which travel at the same speed with thesaid material and over a relatively long distance, at least one of saidsealing surfaces being formed by an endless belt.

6. Installation according to claim 5, wherein one seal-.

ing surface is formed by an endless belt and the other by a rollertravelling with the material and at the same speed as the said belt orband, which roller is tightly gripped and accompanied over a large partof its periphery by the endless belt so that a travelling slit-likepassage is formed.

7. Installation according to claim 6, wherein the belts and the sealingroller are at the same time driving means for the material enclosedthereby.

8. Installation for continuously treating strip-like material in vacuo,comprising individual installation elements adapted to be assembled insections, each section having a movable support, a vessel sectionmounted on said support, as well as internal means inside of each saidsection associated with a predetermined treatment operation, adjacentvessel sections having therebetween packing means sealing relatively tothe outside space, said internal means inside of adjacent sections beingseparated from each other by at least one separating wall with sealingorifices for said strip-like material, the coupling between theindividual installation sections being of uniform construction tothereby allow an interconnection of the individual sections in anydesired sequence, wherein-two discs are provided on the inside of acontrol window of a vapour-treating chamber, which discs are disposed inspaced relation to one another and are driven at the same speed, and areformed with openings arranged in such manner that those of one disc areassociated with those of the other disc so as to form aligned viewingpassages, the spacings of the discs, the holes therein and also thespeed of the discs in relation to the speed of the particles of metallicvapour and the like being so chosen that a particle which has passedthrough a hole in the disc nearer to the vapour-treating chamber, owingto the further rotation of the other disc which has meanwhile takenplace, impinges on the solid-walled parts disposed between the holes ofthe latter disc which acts as a screen.

9. Installation according to claim 8, wherein the discs are preferablycombined to form a structural unit and those holes therein whichtogether form the viewing passages are so arranged that the observer maypreferably view the entire chamber from different positions.

10. Installation for continuously treating strip-like material in'vacuo, comprising individual installation elements adapted to beassembled in sections, each section having a movable support, a vesselsection mounted on said support, as well as internal means inside ofeach said section associated with a predetermined treatment operation,adjacent vessel sections having therebetween packing means sealingrelatively to the outside space, said internal means inside of adjacentsections being separated from each other by at least one separating wallwith sealing orifices for said strip-like material, the coupling betweenthe individual installation sections being of uniform construction tothereby allow an interconnection of the individual sections in anydesired sequence, wherein the means for reeling the treated material isadapted to be changed merely by replacing the reeling rod accommodatingthe strip or web when a supporting roller system is used by the windingrod used with the winding rod system, and vice versa.

11. Installation according to claim 10, wherein a supporting rollerserving to drive the coil of strip material in the supporting rollersystem is used at the same time for driving the winding rod in thewinding rod system.

12. Installation according to claim 10, having a gear in the powertransmission of the common drive means,

the said gear being infinitely variable.

13. Installation according to claim 12, wherein an infinitely variablegear, is provided in the power transmission of the common drive means,which gear is adjusted in dependence on the increasing diameter of thecoil of strip material in the winding rod system to the predeterminedspeed of the said strip material.

14. Installation for continuously treating strip-like material in vacuo,comprising individual installation elements adapted to be assembled insections, each section having a movable support, a vessel sectionmounted on said support, as well as internal means inside of each saidsection associated with a predetermined treatment operation, adjacentvessel sections having therebetween packing means sealing relatively tothe outside space,

said internal means inside of adjacent sections being separated fromeach other by at least one separating wall with sealing orifices forsaid strip-like material, the coupling between the individualinstallation sections being of uniform construction to thereby allow aninterconnection of the individual sections in any desired sequence,wherein the guideway for the strip-like material comprises communicatingtubes which are filled with liquid and through which the strip materialtravels, and wherein a liquid pump is provided by means of which, ifnecessary in conjunction with an automatic throttle valve, the level ofthe liquid, preferably a liquid acting at the same time on the material,is maintained at the required height in the two branches.

15. Installation according to claim 14, wherein resilient sealingrollers are provided between those branches of the system whichcommunicate with one another, the material to be treated being guidedbetween the said rollers.

16. Installation for continuously treating strip-like material in vacuo,comprising individual installation elements adapted to be assembled insections, each section having a movable support, a vessel sectionmounted on said support, as well as internal means inside of each saidsection associated with a predetermined treatment operation, adjacentvessel sections having therebetween packing means sealing relatively tothe outside space, said internal means inside of adjacent sections beingseparated from each other by at least one separating wall with sealingorifices for said strip-like material, the coupling between theindividual installation sections being of uniform construction tothereby allow an interconnection of the individual sections in anydesired sequence, wherein treatment units for lacquering, forimpregnating, for drying and for calendering purposes can be arranged inany desired order relative to the first part of the installation of evengreater negative pressure.

17. Installation for continuously treating strip-like material in vacuowith two or more treatment spaces enclosed in a vessel section, saidspaces each containing an installation corresponding to a predeterminedindividual treatment operation or to a treatment stage, and which areseparated from one another by at least one separating wall with sealingorifices for said strip-like material, the units composed of a vesselsection and internal installation being adapted for coupling andexchange with each other to a state of working readiness, sealing meansrelatively to the outside space being provided, each internalinstallation being adapted to be inserted into its respective vesselsection, and both being mounted on a common movable means.

'18. Installation according to claim 17, wherein the individualinstallation sections are adapted to be moved on rails independently ofeach other, andthe strip-like material is adapted to be inserted androlled over also when said individual installation sections are movedapart.

19. Installation according to claim 17, wherein means are providedpermitting to adjust installation sections comprising vessel section andinternal installation as a whole,

.against each other, as well as the internal installation ReferencesCite-d in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,083 Gerliet a1 June 29, 1920 1,595,491 Minton Aug. 10, 1926 1,924,142 WillauerAug. 29, 1933 2,125,364 Waldron Aug. 2, 1938 2,241,228 Weinhart May 6,1941 2,605,738 Grieve Aug. 5, 1952 2,656,284 Toulmin Oct. 20, 19532,785,651 Pawlyk Mar. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 520,770 Canada Jan. 17,1956

